The Visual Box

Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT Scholar Works

Theses

Thesis/Dissertation Collections

7-9-1984

The Visual Box

Candace Lorimer

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Recommended Citation

ROSHESTER INSTITUTE

OF

TECHNOLOGY

A

Thesis

Submitted

to

the

Faculty

of

The

College

of

Fine

and

Applied

Arts

in

Candidacy

for

the

Degree

of

MASTER OF

FINE

ARTS

THE

VISUAL

BOOK

by

Candace

A.

Lorimer

APPROVALS

Advisor:

---Date

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-

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--

---.:rt~---Associate Advisor:

Associate Advisor:

Graduate Academic

Council

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Representative:

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---Date-:

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Dean, College of

/

Fine & Applied Arts:

O~.

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Iqat

I, Candace Lorimer, prefer to be contacted each time a request for

production is made. I can be reached at the following address.

Date

:----1.

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1568 Wright Avenue

Sunnyvale, California

G,^

v<a\

CONTENTS

I

.

INTRODUCTION

1

II.

MAJOR VEHICLES FOR VISUAL EXPRESSION

Dot

2

Triple

Layering

of

Dot

Patterns

3

Image

Juxtaposition

3

The

Image Field

5

The

Suite

of

Compositions

6

The

Edition

6

III

.

CONCEPTUAL

STRUCTURE

OF

THE

BOOK

8

IV.

STRUCTURE

OF

THE

THESIS

PROJECT

Format

18

Development

of

the

Text

19

Visual

Translation

of

the

Text

22

V.

A

DISCOURSE

ON

THE

RELATIONSHIPS

BETWEEN

THE

TEXTUAL AND

FORMAL

QUALITIES

OF

THE

PROJECT

29

VI

.

CONCLUSION

34

APPENDIX

36

SELECTED

BIBLIOGRAPHY

40

ILLUSTRATION

OF

THE

THESIS

PROJECT

(REDUCTION)

IN

CORRECT

LINEAR ARRANGEMENT

41

ILLUSTRATION

OF

THE

THESIS

PROJECT

(IMAGE

ACTUAL

SIZE)

Print

1

42

Print

2

43

Print

3

44

Print

4

45

Print

5

46

Print

6

47

Print

7

48

Print

8

49

INTRODUCTION

The

thesis

project was constructed around a

desire

to

work with a

specific

kind

of

imagery

generated

through

the

use of certain

technical

processes and

to

explore

the

expressive possibilities of

the

visual

book.

The

techniques

of color

separation

photography

and

hand

lithography

used

in

the

project's

production

were

completely

new

to

me prior

to

this

under

taking.

I

was curious

to

learn

more about

them

and

felt

their

incorpora

tion

into

the

project would afford me an

opportunity

to

gain

their

familiarity.

My

background

in

handprinting

and

the

book

arts was

undoubtedly

an

important

influence

in choosing

to

incorporate

the

element of craft

into

the

structural

fabric

of

the

project.

Indeed,

attaining

the

degree

of

craftsmanship necessary

for presenting

an

aesthetically pleasing

artifact was part of

the

challenge of

using

these

production

techniques.

I

could

have

chosen

any

number of ways of

exploring

the

visual

book.

Though

I

do

not

discount

the

formal

qualities which

these

photo and

lithographic

techniques

exhibit,

visualizing

the

conceptual content could

have been

accomplished

by

other

means,

and perhaps more

effectively

so.

However,

because

of

the

strong

conceptual nature of

the

project,

its

medium

is

and never was

intended

to

be

its

message.

The

formal

qualities serve as a vehicle

through

which

that

message

is

expressed.

As

the

project

progressed,

I

found

the

technical

hurdles

of production

becoming

far

more

burdensome

than

I

had

anticipated so much so

that

they

soon

began

to

interfere

with

the

expression of

the

concept.

Because

I

lacked

a reasonable amount of

technical

facility

which would

have

enabled me more

freedom

to

comfortably

work with

the

processes of

production,

I

feel

the

suite of nine prints

to

be

an attempt at

document

ing

the

statement

I

wished

to

articulate and shall

be

elaborated upon as such

in

this

report.

-1-MAJOR

VEHICLES

FOR VISUAL EXPRESSION

Dot.

Singularily,

the

_{most minimal visual}

element.

In

quantity

and

in

specific

configuration,

it

composes

the

imagery

of

the

thesis.

The

notion of

building,

using extremely

simple elements of

like

shape which when combined are capable of

forming

endless visual patterns

of

varying

complexity,

has

consistently interested

me.

My

first

acquain

tance

with

this

style of

rendering

began

with

using

the

pointillist

technique

of pen and

ink

drawing.

This

technique

allowed a wide range

of expression

in

terms

of

manipulating

the

degree

of

image

detail.

One

could make a

drawing

tonally

complex or

suggestively

simple.

However,

the

rendering

remains

curiously

noncommitted.

Unlike

the

emotionally

charged expressive possibilities of

the

brushstroke

or

the

pencil

line,

the

dots

have

to

be

made with

calculating

care and

thus,

do

not communi

cate much

beyond

variations

in density.

My

interest

in

this

rendering

style still remains

but

I

have

since

found

a

different

means with which

to

express

it.

Instead

of

applying

the

dots

with pen and

ink,

I

use graphic arts photography.

With

respect

to

the

style of

photography

used

to

produce

the

thesis

project,

this

style of

dot rendering is commonly

referred

to

as

the

random

dot.

"Random"

simply

indicates

that

the

dots

are arranged

according

to

the

"grain"

or silver

halide

structure

inherent

in

the

emulsions of continuous

tone

panchromatic

films,

rather

than

a prefabricated

half-tone

screen

with

dots

aligned

along

a

horizontal-vertical

grid structure.

However,

both

forms

record

density

ranges

in

equally

specific ways.

The

half-tone

changes

the

size of each

dot

in

its

grid structure

corresponding

to

the

changes of

density

in

the

image,

whereas

the

random

dot

structure

in

creases or

decreases

the

concentration of

dots

to

represent

tonal

changes

As

I

had

always

in

the

past worked with

these

"grainy"

images

in

black

and

white,

the

possibilities

suggested

by

color added a new and

intriguing

dimension.

I

was

familiar

with color separations

in

print

material

and could

readily

envision

using

the

basic

principles applied

there

in

my

own

imagery.

Besides

the

lattitude

of possible expression

in

the

value ranges

between black

and white with random

dot

photography, was

the

added

range of

hues

and

tints.

As

with

the

"building"

notion expressed

in

the

configuration

of

dots

into

patterns,

I

was also

interested in

mechanically

layering

three

or so colors on

top

of one another

which,

by

the

overlapping

of

their

transparent

bases,

could render a

limitless

variety

of other colors and

in

turn,

more complex patterns.

Using

tech

niques

described in

the

Appendix,

I

could control

the

color

balance

to

suit

my

needs and

desires.

Accurate

representation

of

the

actual photographed subject was never

my

intention

in making

the

photographic color

separations,

just

as

using

photographic

images

to

represent

reality

was not

my

intention

in using

recognizable objects such as

shells,

grass etc.

However,

the

objects

I

selected

to

include

in

the

imagery

were chosen

in

part

for

particular

color,

texture

and/or

formal

qualities

that

would relate well

to

the

thematic

content when arranged

in

a composition.

Juxtaposing

many

images

on

the

same

field became

the

third

major vehicle of expression.

The

dot

created

the

basic

structure,

layer

ing

three

sets of specific

dot

patterns

in

registration created

the

complete

individual

image

in

color,

and

the

combining

of separate color

images

in

a composition created

the

single moment or

fragment

of

the

image

sequence.

In

addressing

this

latter

method of

expression,

the

main

focus

is

on edge

treatment.

Any

time

an

image

is

juxtaposed

to

another,

they

are

related,

not

only

by

their

colors and

textures

but

also

by

the

qualities and

proximity

of

their

boundaries

in

relation

to

the

ground.

Mechanically

speaking

(see

Appendix)

,

the

images

were collaged.

I

say

"mechanically"

because

to

make

the

final

negatives,

the

images

were

positioned,

overlapped and otherwise manipulated

through

the

use of photomechanical

masks,

pin registration and contact

printing

techniques.

producing

the

final

imagery,

wherein

separate

images

were overlapped

or

adjacently

positioned

to

one another.

Thus,

I

do

not consider

the

final

imagery

to

be

a

collection

of

collages,

though

the

_edge

quality

in

certain

instances

is

collage-like.

Both

hard-edge

_and

soft-edge

treatments

were used.

Opaque

images

are

bounded

by

a

hard

edge.

In

other

words,

any overlap

into

another

image

results

in partially covering

that

_other

image,

giving

the

impression

that

one

image is

"in

front

of"

the

other

image.

An

image bounded

by

a

softened edge

ussually

does

not

touch

another

image.

If

so,

the

soft-edge

image

ussually

serves as a

secondary

_ground

for

an

overlapping

hard-edge

image

or

it

is blended

into

another soft-edge

image.

The

most common method of

combining

images

was

to

bound

them

by

a

hard

edge and overlap.

This

method not

only

proved

to

be

technically

more accessible

(an

instance

of

technical

procedure

directing

the

course

of visual

expression)

but

also more

aesthetically

successful

in

certain

respects

than

most attempts at

blending

images.

Combining

many

images,

some of which

overlap

parts of

others,

creates a sense of

dimension

which

tends

to

imply

movement and

in

turn,

holds

the

composition

together.

Such

a composition contains a

feeling

of

depth

which

invites

the

eyes

to

"enter"

and

be

encompassed

by

the

imagery

rather

than

to

pass over

and

off

the

surface,

as

is

more

the

case with

blended

images.

Blended

imagery

alludes

to

this

kind

of movement

in

the

dark

and

light

contrasts of

the

imagery

itself,

not

in

the

juxtaposition

of

images

whose outer

dimensions

blend

into

one another.

However,

blended

imagery

implies

movement

through

suggesting

some sort of change or metamorphosis

from

one

thing

into

another,

or

blending

two

separate units

together

into

a

third

component.

The

change

implies

a shift

in

condition,

a

visually

dynamic

but physically

static state.

Something

is

happening

but

it

is

not

happening.

. . .

A

different

kind

of visual

dynamism

prevails within a

field

whose

imagery

are

spacially

separated

by

the

ground.

Movement

is

implied

by

the

suspended

quality

of

imagery

seemingly

floating

in

space with

the

ground

as

the

backdrop.

The

suspended

quality

almost

takes

the

form

of a snapshot

a

frozen

moment extracted

from

a

constantly

changing

reality.

Directional

forces

such as

those

of proximity

help

maintain

the

separate

images

as part

from the

degree

of

proximity

being

that

in

which

the

greatest amount of

tension

presides.

Each

composition was contained within an

image

field

of

7

x

9V.

The

area was chosen

because

I

could use

8

x 10" ortho

film

during

pro

duction

which

kept

supply

_costs within

my budget.

Since

the

project was

my

first

attempt at

working

with

the

technicalities

and visual

hurdles

inherent

in

color separation and photo-lithographic

processes,

the

size seemed

appropriate

for

preliminary

visualizations of

my

developing

ideas.

It

was also a size which seemed

both

large

enough

to

work

in

detail

and

intimate

enough

for

me

to

feel

I

was

working

in

the

sketch or

study

mode.

The

image

area

boundary

imposes

its

own

hard

edge on

any

imagery

which

intersects

it.

The

formation

of

this

boundary

in

any

given com position

depended

on

the

respective

thematic

content,

to

be

more

fully

described

in

a subsequent section of

the

report.

However,

the

images

were

freely

situated within

the

area.

In

constructing

the

compositions,

there

was never

any

inclination

to

define

a specific amount or configuration of

boundary.

However,

in those

compositions with

incomplete

image

area

boundaries,

all

four

edges are

to

some extent

defined:

the

area

is

then

optically

"closed"

into

a shape consistent with

that

of

those

compositions whose

four

boundaries

are

completely

defined.

Though

the

rationale

for

using partially

defined

versus

fully

defined

boundaries

is

directly

tied

to

thematic

content,

a

few

words can

be

said

concerning

the

consequences of each

treatment.

In

those

com positions where

the

four

edges of

the

image

area are

fully defined,

the

boundaries

impose

themselves

in

a rather restrictive

fashion

on

the

visual elements of

the

composition.

One

senses

that

the

boundaries

are

arbitrary

in

that

visual elements are

neatly

cut off rather

than

that

the

composition

is

made complete

by

their

inclusion.

This

latter

sensibility

seems

to

be

apparent

in

those

compositions with

incomplete

boundaries,

perhaps

because

the

hard

edges are

less

noticeable and

there

fore,

less

imposing.

The

free

flow

of negative space

from

outside

the

perimeters of

the

composition,

into

and

through

the

composition

itself,

Nine distinct

compositions

were produced on separate sheets of paper.

The

compositions

are

intended

to

be

viewed as an entire

group

in

a

specific

order

determined

by

the

thematic

content.

The

ideal

method of

viewing is

to

_arrange

the

prints edge-to-edge

in

a

horizontal

direction

so

that

all nine sets of

images

are

immediately

perceivable without

the

viewer

having

to

physically interact

_with

the

_work

(ie:

turning

one print over

to

disclose

the

next)

.

Perhaps

because

of

my

previous work with

handprinted

books,

I

naturally

think

of a new project as

being

a

"handprinted

and

limited

edition".

Since my

imagery

is

most

commonly

photographic,

to

see

the

finished

result

I

either

have

to

proof

the

image

as a comprehensive or

print

it.

I

knew

I

wouldn't

be

satisfied with

working

the

thesis

project

to

the

comp

stage.

I

wanted

the

visuals

to

at

least

take

on

the

appearance

of

being

"finished" even

though

I

knew

that

conceptually,

they

would

barely

represent a start.

A

"finished"

image

in

terms

of

this

project meant a

printed one.

Though

I

knew nothing

of

the

technique

of

hand

lithography,

I

knew

its

application would

be

financially

and

technically

suited

to

the

printing

of random

dot

color spearations

besides

providing

me with an

opportunity

to

learn

an unfamiliar

printing

technique.

I

used

hand

lithography

as a means

to

generate a printed

form

of

my

already

composed

images.

The

craft aspect of

producing

a consistent

edition as well as

learning

the

technicalities

of

the

particular

kind

of

lithography

used

to

produce

the

project,

were as

far

as

my

interests

in

this

kind

of

printmaking

were

to

go.

I

was not

using

lithography

as an

art

form

nor as

anything

more

than

a

recording

device

a

way

to

apply

ink

to

paper,

a

tool.

In

those

instances

where

the

hand

litho

process

did

show evidence of

itself,

such as

the

occurrence of

ink

scum,

mis registration or changes

in

ink

density,

I

consider such prints waste as

they

are not accurate representations of

the

compositions.

I

wanted

the

edition

to

be

a small one.

My

time

limitations

in

the

lithography

lab

made

this

choice a requirement.

However,

a small

edition also seemed

to

be

a

less

presuming

display

of compositions

Irregardless

of

any

limitations

or rationalizations, printing

copies was

the

most enjoyable part of

the

thesis production process.

The

thrill

of

seeing many

of what

I

had

previously

only

imagined

was

justification

enough

for making

more

than

one of

something

that is

hardly

"finished" at all.

Twenty

copies of each print were executed,

CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURE

OF

THE

BOOK

I

call

the

thesis

project

a visual

book.

Books

are stored on a

bookshelf.

Standing

with spines

perpendicular

to

the

ground

like

soldiers and

facing

forward,

they

brace

themselves

against one

another,

aided

in

part

by

the

bookend.

Take

a

book

off

the

shelf and one

is

immediately

confronted

by

the

relative

importance

of

it.

Hard

covers are

by

far

more

important

than

soft covers.

They

give

the

book

a

feeling

of

solidity;

of

something

that

is

built,

bound,

a structure with

hinges

and

boards,

implacable,

enduring

wood.

As

the

book

is held in

the

hands,

fingertips

ride over em

bossed

hills

and

valleys,

sink

into

the

crevice of

the

joint,

compulsively

seek

the

last breath

of amiable

leather,

or plastic's passive

cool,

the

variegated coarseness of

cloth,

or

ubiquitous,

tenuous

paper.

The

eyes confirm what

the

fingers

have

discovered,

discern

patterns and colors on

the

cover's

surface,

the

glint of gold

leaf,

and

in

the

process assess

the

size of

the

book.

Large

books

are more

important

than

small

books.

Hands

and

fingers

wrapped around

three

sides note

the

book's

mass and

may

argue with

the

eyes'

assessment

if

the

weight of

the

book

does

not

relatively

conform

to

its

size,

for

heavy

books

are

the

most

important

of all.

Having

succeeded a proper

introduction,

the

book's

person

ality

realized

in

full

view necessitates a more

formal

and complete acquaintance which

begins

by lifting

the

cover.

Resting

with

back

cover

flat

against

the

tabletop

or spine

securely

seated

in

the

crux of one

hand,

fingers

press against

the

thickness

of

the

cover and pull

it up

and

away

from

the

pages enclosed

beneath,

measuring

weight and resistance as

the

cover

is

pivoted on

its

joint

to

the

open position.

The

movement

is

all

too

effortless of a cover

that

flops

open with

just

a

touch,

it

requires a

steady

pull

to

flex

the

capacities of a supple

joint

and

forces

glue

to

crack and

buckram

to

groan

in

a

particularly

cantankerous

bind.

Aromas

of new or

old,

of

glue,

paper and

ink

begin

to

escape.

The

eyes cast a passive glance at

the

endpaper,

first

encounter with

the

interior.

The

endpaper

is

white or of a particular

color,

perhaps

passively

decorated.

The

hand

glides across

its

surface,

searching

for

the

texture

that

will complete

the

perception.

A

finger

or

two

catches

the

paper's

edge,

lifts

it

up

and

in

a

whisper,

the

page

is

turned.

Assessment

of

the

enfolding

personality

is

confirmed or revised.

-8-The

next page

may be

of a

different

color and

if

not,

perhaps

then

of a

different

material,

to

_which

the

fingers

can confirm.

It may be blank

or

it

may

contain

the

half-title,

the

quiet

lead-in

to

the

title

page or

it

may be

the

title

page.

The

fingertips

pass over

the

surface on

their

way

to

the

page's

edge,

feeling

the

texture,

the

_{cool or}

warm,

hard

or soft of

it

and

then

grasping

the

page,

rubbing

its

thickness

between

the

fingers,

lift

it up

and over.

The

page

may

turn

with a quiet whir or voice vehement protest

with all sorts of

buckling

and

popping

noises.

The

eyes

look

upon

the

next page and when

finished,

the

hand

passes over

it,

grasps and

turns,

the

ears

hearing

what

they

may.

The

repeated

order of

seeing,

touching

and

hearing

establishes

a rhythm which runs

continuously

throughout

the

viewing

process.

Once

the

end of

the

book

is

reached,

the

eyes are granted

a rest with more

blank

or

passively

decorated

pages

before

the

book

is

finally

closed,

the

task

of

reading

complete.

The

book

is

then

returned

to

its

place on

the

shelf,

standing

erect and

facing

forward.

Having

offered

the

many

faces

of

its

multifaceted

character,

it patiently

awaits a new or

reacquaintance.

1

In

Western

culture,

when one

thinks

of a

book,

a mental

image

of

the

codex

format

most

likely

comes

to

mind,

as was

probably

the

case when

reading

this

essay.

The

modern codex

bind

is

that

of

any

standard textbook-_-pages

folded

into

_{signatures which are stacked and}

sewn

together,

and enclosed

between

two

covered

boards

which

hinge

from

a spine.

In

principle,

it

is

any

structure

in

which

the

pages

and cover are secured

along

one

edge,

such as paperback or "perfect"

bound

books

, spiral and

ring binds

.

This

structure was

developed

by

the

early

Christian

peoples

for

political and practical reasons.

They

wanted

to

distinguish

them

selves

from

the

Romans

whose sacred writings were enclosed

in

scrolls.

They

also needed a structure which would render

their

own sacred

writings

immediately

accessible, as

these

writings were used

for

refer

ence

instead

of continuous reading.

The

Latin

word codex

originally

meant

"the

trunk

or stem of a

tree",

referring

to

anything

made of wood.

Later

it

became

the

name

for

wooden

tablets

strung

together

in

groups of

two

or more.

When

parchment

began

to

be

used

in

page

form

(as

opposed

to

scroll

form)

, groups of

pages

tied

together

in

most cases referred

to

as

liber,

were

eventually

called

codices

when

the

contained

_{manuscript was}

any

collection of

laws

or

constitutions

_of

the

emperors.

The

term

was used

by

the

early

Christians

to

identify

their

_sacred

writings

but did

not

become

popular until

the

fifth

century,

at

which

time

the

structure

for enclosing

these

writings

was

firmly

established.

The

growth of

the

Christian

community

in

the

West

during

the

first

_and

into

the

_{second millenia}

popularized

that

particular

format

for both

religious and secular

Today,

"codex"

refers

to

a volume of

biblical

or classical

text

in

manuscript.

However,

bibliophiles,

bookbinders

_and

book

designers

respectfully

call

any

crafted object

that

functions

like

those

which

enclosed sacred codices

in

Medeival

times,

a codex or more

properly,

a codex

bind

or a codex

format.

Before

the

spread of

industrialization,

the

object

in

pre-industrialized

cultures

that

commonly

served

the

same

function

as

the

codex

format

took

a

variety

of

forms

,

employing

materials

indigenous

to

the

respective goegraphic

location

and

time

period.

In

this

sense,

"function"

means

the

presentation of a

body

of written

language

substantial

enough

in

length

to

necessitate

containing

it

in

a convenient

to

use and

somewhat portable package or

handcrafted

structure.

Many

ancient peoples

had

their

books

and

their

libraries

but,

unfortunately

for

us,

wrote

their

texts

on perishable substrates.

Specimens

of one of

the

earliest

book

formats

known

to

us,

the

Egyptian

papyrus

scroll,

though

made

from very degradable

material were preserved

by

the

encapsulating

Egyptian

sand.

Another

very early book

format

is

that

of

the

Mesopotamian

clay

tablet

books.

Though

it

was

impossible

to

physically

connect a set of

clay

tablets

to

one

another,

all

tablets

of a

series were numbered and

labelled

as

to

the

title

of

the

book

to

which

they

belonged.

The

Agram

document,

the

only

extant

Etruscan

manuscript

which could

be

considered a "book" was written on

fifteen

strips of

linen

wrappings

from

an

Egyptian

mummy.

In

India,

Burma

and

Siam,

Palmyra

and

Talipat

palm

leaves

were used as a

writing

substrate,

strung

together

and attached

to

a

board

or

folded

like

a

fan.

The

Bataks,

living

in

Sumatra,

made accordion

books

from

long

strips of

bamboo

which were welded

David

Di ringer,

The

Book

Before

Printing,

(New York:

Dover

by

beating

them together

and

then

folded

accordion

fashion

and

attached

to

wooden covers.

In

contemporary

times,

technology

and mass production

have

synthesized

the

activity

of

producing

books

into

that

of

function-specific

machines

capably

and

efficiently

churning

out a

few

variations

of one

basic

style.

The basic

style

is

the

codex

format

and

the

variations

are all

the

paperback,

_signature

sewn,

saddle-stitched,

spiral

bound,

perfect

bound,

casebound and

hardbound

"books"

common

to

anyone's

recollection.

However,

there

are

those

individuals

who use

the

book

as

a medium of artistic and

hand-crafted

expression.

Such

productions

generally

emphasize

the

physical qualities of

the

book

and sometimes

incorporate

these

qualities

into

the

content of

the

text.

Their

structures

range

from

visual

interpretations

of

the

codex and accordion

binds

to

environments

(wherein

one

literally

"walks

through"

the

book)

to

book

objects

bordering

on sculpture.

Keith

Smith,

Book

70,

1978.

Single

picture composed as a

book.

^Keith

A.

Smith,

The

Structure

of

the

Visual

Book,

(Rochester:

That these

formats

are "books"

(in

contemporary

and popular use

of

the

term)

is

irrelevant.

A

stack of

blank

pages which

has

no

immediate

function,

sewn

down

one

side,

enclosed

between hinged boards

and sold

in any stationery

store

is

commonly

called a "blank"

book.

The

con

ventions of popular word

usage,

being

_synonymous with

diluted

clarity,

misaligned

meaning

and other such

barbarisms

of

the

word,

are often and

too

easily

the

manner

in

which we speak when

referring

to

something

as

accessible

to

the

imagination

as

the

book.

However

t what

the

imagination

sees

but

most

likely

fails

to

recognize

is

an

underlying

structure.

Of

patterned

energies;

and

first,

Buckminister

Fuller

on

knots.

He

grasps and

tenses

an

invisible

rope,

on which we are

to

understand a common overhand

knot,

two

360

rotations

in

in

tersecting

planes,

each passed

through

the

other:

u

Pull

, and whatever your effort each

lobe

of

the

knot

makes

it

impossible

that

the

other shall

disappear.

It

is

a

self-interfering

pattern.

Slacken,

and

its

structure

hangs

open

for

analysis

but

suffers no

topological

impairment.

Slide

the

knot

along

the

rope: you are

sliding

rope

through

knot.

Slide

through

it,

if

you

have

them

spliced

in

sequence,

hemp

rope,

cotton

rope,

nylon rope.

The

knot

is

indifferent

to

these

transactions.

The

knot

is

neither

hemp

nor cotton nor nylon:

is

not

the

rope.

The

knot

is

a patterned

integrity

.

The

rope renders

it

visible.

No

member of

Fuller's

audience

has

objected

(he

remarks)

that

throughout

this

exposition

he has

been

holding

no rope at

all,

so accessible

to

the

mind

is

a patterned

integrity,

visible or

no,

once

the

senses

have

taught

us

its

contours.

Imagine,

next,

the

metabolic

flow

that

passes

through

a man

and

is

not

the

man: some

hundred

tons

of

solids,

liquids

and

gases

serving

to

render a single man corporeal

during

the

seventy

years

he

persists,

a patterned

integrity,

a

knot

through

which pass

the

swift strands of simultaneous ecological

cycles,

recycling

transformations of solar energy.

At

any

given moment

the

knotted

materials weigh perhaps

160

pounds.

(And

"Things,"

wrote

Ernest

Fenollosa

about

1904,

are

"cross-sections

cut

through

actions,

snap-shots.")

So

far

Buckminister

Fuller

(1967)

.

Now

Ezra

Pound

(1914)

on

the

poetic

image:

"...a

radiant node or

cluster;

...what

I

can,

and must perforce, call a

VORTEX,

from which,

and

through

which,

and

into

which,

ideas

are

constantly

rushing."

A

patterned

integrity

accessible

to

the

mind;

For

the

vortex

is

not

the

water

but

a patterned

energy

made visible

by

the

water.1

'''Hugh

Kenner,

The

Pound

Era,

(Berkeley:

The

University

of

The book is

not a

specific

style

of physical object

but

a

structure

made

visible

by

a

format.

Physical

objects which are called

books,

in

all

the

countless

forms

which

that

ingenuous human

faculty

has

or could

possibly

procure,

_{share a}

distinction

which

defines

them

as

books.

They

may

also exist

partially

or

completely

in

other cate

gorized realms of

creativity

_{such as}

film,

architecture,

sculpture,

photography

etc.,

but

the

label

"book"

commits

these

objects

to

the

parameters of

this

distinction.

The

distinction

can

best

be

described

as a

seemingly

anti

thetical

construct;

visual

material

imposed

continuously

on a

discon

tinuous

surface

or,

as pertains

to

the

scroll

format,

a surface made

discontinuous

by

a particular convention of

viewing

(partial

unrolling,

revealing

a portion of

the

text

at a

time)

.

The

undeniable characteristic of

the

discontinuous

surface as

a

dominant

feature

of

format

is

obvious

to

anyone

who,

after

having

seen codices or scrolls

displayed

under

glass,

came

away

feeling

cheated,

having

been

taunted

with

just

a glimpse when

there

was so much more

to

be

viewed.

This

method of

display

may

allow more

individuals

simultan

eous

viewing

of what

is

being

shown,

but

experiencing

such

formats

in

their

entirety

is better

if

the

experience

is

a

solitary

activity,

necessitating

the

physical participation of

the

viewer

to

"look

through"

the

book

at a pace and

direction

in

accordance with

her

or

his

particular

energies of attention.

Books

are experienced

in

intervals

of

time

and

space

defined

by

the

page.

There

is

a

beginning

in

one place and an end

in

another.

The

spatial order

in

most common

formats

of

the

book

is

easily

recognized as

being

discontinuous,

as

in

the

above example.

The

structure

of

the

codex

bind

is

such

that

one cannot view

the

entire

book

at once

but

must view successive pages or page spreads

individually.

Accordion

books

may be

viewed

like

a codex or opened out completely, wherein

the

discontinuous

surface

is

maintained

by

the

folds

in

the

paper.

Other

more unusual

book

formats

such as

book

environments,

generally

use a

combination of

edge,

border

or some sort of spatial separation of

the

elements

to

create

the

discontinuous surface.

Besides

being

"looked

through",

the

book

must also

be

looked

at.

The

hand-held book,

because

_of

its

structure,

requires

the

viewer

to

physically

participate

in

the

viewing

process.

Yet,

a stack of

blank,

bound

pages renders

this

obligation

meaningless as

there

is

nothing

to

view.

The

pages might as well

be

stacked and padded

into

scratch

paper.

If

the

binding

of a

blank book

is

beautiful,

then

it

is

a

beauti

ful

example of

binding.

However,

a

binding

alone

does

not make a

book.

Codex bindings

were

developed

during

the

early

Middle

Ages,

a

time

when

the

texts

of most

books

were sacred.

Since

texts

were

labor

iously

handwritten

before

the

mid

16thC.

,

they

were

understandably

very

rare and expensive

items.

Enclosing

the

pages

between

leather

covered

wooden

boards

was

necessary

to

protect

the

valuable manuscript

from

damage

or

disorder.

The

practice of adornment of

both

the

text

itself,

called

illuminations,

and

the

text's

binding,

incorporating

inlaid

jewels,

carved and gilded ornamentation

into

the

structure,

was considered an

expression of

devotion

to

God

by

symbolizing

the

sacredness of

His

word

with an

extremely

precious artifact.

Thus,

the

art and craft of

book

binding

developed

in

response

to

the

enclosed

content,

not

in

lieu

of

it.

That

is

not

to

say

that

the

binding

cannot

be

a part of

the

content.

Indeed

it

can and

should,

but

a valid reason must still exist

for

ordering

the

enclosed pages

in

the

manner which requires one particular

bind

over

another,

if

any

kind

at all.

Otherwise,

the

bind becomes

a

superfluous and

possibly

misleading

element,

as

is

the

case with a

blank

book.

In

certain

kinds

of

texts,

the

theme

is

complete,

without need

of

the

support of visual

display.

Literary

manuscripts are an example.

The

content of

the

book

is

the

ideas

contained within

the

text

not

the

visual appearance of

the

text.

A

standard

dictum

in book design

for

this

kind

of

text

is

that

the

typography

should

be

invisible

to

the

reader.

Such

a presentation

obviously

emphasizes

legibility

over all else.

There

is

however,

a

grey

area where

book design

leaves

off and

typography begins,

or vice versa.

On

the

one

hand,

each page should

look

unobtrusive.

The

seemingly

arbitrary breaks

in

the

text

at

the

end

of each page should not

be

noticeable

to

the

reader.

This

is

partly due

to

the

convention of

reading

typographic

books

which we are

taught

from

day

one

but

it is

surely

assisted

by

continuity

of

the

layout.

If

the

same

respective

positions)

_{which are well}

balanced

to

the

eye and

if

the

text

is

comfortably

sized and

aligned,

then

one

does

not seem

to

notice

that

one

has

to

move

the

eyes

from

page

to

page which creates

interruptions

in

the

text

at points

determined

by

the

designernot

the

author.

On

the

other

hand,

part of

the

typographer's

art

is

to

image

the

feeling

of

the

book

using

types

of a particular

style,

size and

arrangement.

As

certain styles of

text

types

are considered good

book

types

because

of

their

legibility,

and

the

layout

of

the

page

is

ussually

determined

by

length

limitations

(especially

with

commercially

produced

books)

,

freedom

of expression with

the

text

material

is

often not possible.

The

title

page

becomes

the

typographer's

expressive

contribution,

other

pages with

titling

ussually

following

the

_conventions established on

this

page.

But

since

the

title

page should

look

as much a part of

the

book

as

any

text

page,

the

typographer

walks a

thin

line

between

over-expression and nonexpression.

At

the

other end of

the

spectrum,

some

texts

are

purely

visual.

Just

as written

texts

are composed

using

certain grammatical and syntact

ical

guides, so are visual

texts

composed with

their

own guides.

Visual

implies

physical

through

the

function

of

the

sense of sight as an

infor

mation channel

from

the

environment

to

the

brain

much

different

than

the

function

of words.

Visual

texts

tend

to

incorporate

physical qualities

such as

textures,

colors and

dimension

into

their

content.

Thus,

the

actual surface upon which such

texts

are

imposed

is

fair

game

for

being

integrated

into

the

text

itself.

Unlike

the

literary

manuscript mentioned

above,

the

visual

text

depends

on

the

physical structure of

the

book's

format

for

partial or complete expression of

its

thematic

content.

All

texts,

whether

literary

or

visual,

have

a

theme

or central

idea

which contains

the

text

in

a more or

less

consistent whole.

The

theme

is

rarely

stated outright

but is

instead,

implied

or suggested

through

the

organization and content of

the

parts of

the

text.

The

text

is

generally

organized on one or a combination of

three

types

of

struc-1

ture:

group,

series and sequence.

Keith

A.

Smith,

The

Structure

of

the

Visual

Book,

(Rochester:

A

group is

a

combination

of

many

separate

parts which share a

common

characteristic,

such as a collection of

botanical

prints or a

poetry

anthology.

A

series

is

a

linear

progression

of separate parts

which

depend

on

the

parts

preceding

to

give

form

and

coherency

to

the

succeeding

parts,

such as

the

metamorphosis

of a caterpillar

into

a

butterfly.

A

sequence

is

a constant

building

of separate parts which

depend

on a

specific

order of

presentation

to

successfully

express

the

intended

theme,

such as music.

When

a

theme

has

caught

the

composer's

attention,

"it becomes

larger

and

larger,

and

I

spread

it

out more and more

widely

and clearly, and

the

thing

really

gets

to

be

almost completed

in

my

head,

even

if

it

is

long,

so

that

thereafter

I

survey

it

in

my

mind at one

glance,

like

a

beautiful

picture or

handsome

person.

And

I

hear

it

in my

imagination

not

in

se

quence,

as

it

will

have

to

unfold

afterward,

but,

as

it

were,

right

away

all

together

(wie

gleich alles zusammen)

From

a

letter

of

1789,

attributed

to

Mozart

but probably

not

written

by

him in

this

form.

Often

a series and sequence exist

in

combination,

such as a

literary

manuscript where

though

the

separate words are

serially

organized

to

form

sentences and sentences organized

to

form

paragraphs,

each para

graph

is

a separate

idea

which

builds

sequentially

to

suggest

the

central

theme

of

the

entire work.

In

a general

sense,

the

text

becomes

a

book

for

reasons of

practicality

and

function.

It

is

usually

too

long

to

be

conveniently

and

legibly

contained on a single

surface,

and/or part of

its

meaning

is

derived

from

it

being

segmented onto

many

surfaces.

However,

to

be

good

book

material a

text

must

be

capable of

being

visually

arranged

over

many

surfaces without

changing

or

confusing

the

theme.

The

visual

display

should,

if

anything

at

all,

facilitate

the

reader's perception

of

the

theme.

It

should render

the

text

continuously

on a

discontinuous

surface.

A

literary

text

in

a codex

format

derives

the

quality

of con

tinuity

from

being

arranged within an established

image

area.

This

image

Rudolf

Arnheim,

Art

and

Visual

Perception,

(Berkeley:

The

area

determines

the

consistent

placement of

the

text

block

on

every

page.

Consistent

placement

_{of other}

items

on

the

text page,

such as

folios

and

running

heads

_also

help

the

eyes overcome

the

interruptions

of

the

bind

and

page-turning during

reading.

The

quality

of

continuity

of a visual

text

is

achieved

through

the

application

of

the

basic

elements of visual communication:

the

dot,

line,

shape,

direction,

tone,

color,

dimension,

texture,

scale and

dynamics,

along

with

using the

physical structure of

the

format.

An

example of

the

latter

application

is

the

technique

of "wrapping"

images

around an edge of

the

page

in

a codex

bind.

An

image

is bled

off

the

edge and

is

completed

from

the

same edge on

the

verso of

that

page

taking

"continuity"

to

its

literal

extreme.

Most

often

however,

the

quality

of

continuity

is

very

subtle.

One

finds

its

strongest expression

during

the

process of

reading

the

text,

becoming

familiar

with

the

content as

it

enfolds.

By

perceiving

the

work

in

its

entirety, one

becomes

aware

that

whatever

its

structure,

the

text

has

a

definite

inherent

order;

a

beginning,

middle and end.

This

order

tends

to

create anticipation

in

the

viewer when

the

text

is

read part

by

part.

Even

with

those

books

wherein one

is

invited

to

shuffle

the

pages

thereby

creating

all sorts of

different

texts,

if

one reads

the

entire

text

after each

shuffle,

the

content will still enfold

in

the

same way.

Though

its

meaning may

change considerably, anticipation of

what

interpretations

might result will

carry

the

reader

through

the

text.

Thus,

the

continuity

of

the

book's

content not

only

depends

on

the

visual presentation of

the

text

but

is

also

largely

due

to

the

enfolding

quality

of

the

text

itself,

made noticeable

during

the

reading

process.

1Tom

Raworth,

Logbook,

illus.

Frances

Butler,

(Berkeley:

STRUCTURE

OF

THE

THESIS

PROJECT

The

realization

that

a

book

is

formed

through

the

expression

of certain qualities of a rather specific structural order was neces

sary

before

the

thesis

project could

be

executed.

The

project's

physical appearance

is

minimal

in

terms

of a conventional codex

book.

It has

no

bind,

no

folds,

no

blank pages,

no

title

page.

You

cannot

hold

it

to

view

it

properly;

its

thickness

and mass are

incidental.

Yet,

that

these

elements were not

incorporated

into

the

project was

a conscious attempt

to

understand

their

significance

in

those

examples

where

they

are

included.

Given

that

the

text

and

the

format

in

combination create a

book,

to

what extent

do

they

each participate

in

creating

a complete

unit

that

appears continuous on a

discontinuous

surface?

Addressing

this

question was seminal

in

choosing

the

format

for

the

thesis

project-A

stack of

blank

pages sewn

down

one side and enclosed

between hinged

boards

would more

likely

be

called a

book

than

a suite of prints

hanging

on a

wall,

even

though

the

former has

no contained content

(except blank)

while

the

latter

fully

addresses

itself

to

all

the

conceptual characteristics of

any bound

manuscript.

To

the

general

public a

book

is

any

object

that

looks

like

a codex

format.

As

a

book

designer,

I

fully

realize and respect

the

practicality

and

popularity

of

this

format.

However,

having

seen numerous examples wherein

the

codex

format

created

the

"book"

(as

with

the

blank

book)

and

feeling

that

such a

book

was somewhat

lacking,

I

decided

to

explore

the

other end

of

the

scale

(or

somewhere nearby) and attempt a conceptual

book,

hoping

that

the

experience would

in

some

way

strengthen

my book

design

in

any

form

with which

I

chose

to

work.

Thus,

the

format

of

the

thesis

project was created

first,

-18-though

only

tentatively

_so.

The

idea

of a suite of separate prints

intrigued

me,

especially because

the

format

is

atypical

for

a

book

and would

probably

not

be

readily

identified

as such on

the

basis

of

physical

appearance

alone.

The

format

would also

appropriately

contain

lithographs,

a

detail

of

the

project

I

knew

would

have

to

be

addressed

at

the

outset,

along

with

the

use of

in-camera

color separation photo

graphy.

But

these

were

technicalities

that

could

be

changed or reformed

as

the

need arose.

The

format

was not

finalized

until after

the

thematic

content was composed.

The

two

elements were

then

combined and

revised,

each

becoming

the

compliment of

the

other.

After

I

felt

comfortable

with

their

compatibility

on conceptual

terms,

the

creation of

the

actual artifact commenced.

Interestingly,

the

capacity

with which

the

artifact

actually

communicated

the

conceptual content was unknown

to

me until after

the

project was completed.

Expressing

the

quality

of content rendered

continuously

on a

discontinuous

surface would

become

essential

to

the

success of

the

completed project.

Achieving

this

quality

would not

only

guide

my

eventual

formulation

of

the

book's

visual

display,

but

in

a more

im

mediate

sense,

it

served

to

inspire

the

thematic

content.

In

thinking

about

the

quality

of continuity, of

something

that

is

continuous,

I

immediately

thought

of

time

but

not

in

the

sense of

it

being

some abstract and

incomprehensible

concept.

As

continuity

or continuous

implies

action or

that

something

is

happening,

time

was

interpreted

in

the

sense of

its

passing,

a

kinetic

force

in

a state of

constant

flux.

My

interpretation

was

very

strongly

influenced

by

specific

events which

had

recently

made a profound

impact

on

my

life

specifically,

moving

from

a

relatively

seasonless,

warm climate

(California)

to

Rochester,

where people's

lives

are

defined

and regulated

by

the

drast

ically

changing

weather.

My

response

to

this

experience ranged

from

that

of

frustration

to

absolute awe

but

in

any

case,

I

was always

in

trigued

by

the

inescapable

effects

the

changing

weather

imposed

on

the

environment and

in turn,

how

the

environment could

miraculously

adapt

to

any

of

these

effects.

Everything

seemed so

incredibly

orderly.

One

cause-and-

-20-effect

relationship

between

the

seasons and

living

things.

Observing

the

constant

change

in

the

environment

subconsciously

reminded

me of

time.

The

seasons

made

time

sensorially

observable,

if

not

intellectually

comprehensible.

They

transformed

it

into

_patterns

readily

accessible

to

the

mind.

Representing

the

_{seasons as a metaphor}

for

time

became

the

_central

theme

for the

text.

It

was an

idea

I

felt

could

graphically

_express

the

quality

of

continuity

in

the

book.

The

seasons

were not

interpreted

as

being

the

four

separate

stages of

spring,

summer,

fall

and winter.

I

saw

them

as a

continuum,

one

following

the

other

by

blending

in

and

fading

out.

In

visually

portraying

this

continuum,

the

suite of prints

inevitably

became

excerpts:

anything approximating

_{a complete portrayal would}

have

_made

the

project

too

lengthy.

I

wanted

the

excerpts or stages

to

be

like

moments

frozen in time,

_each at a point

during

the

span of a year which

had

the

qualities of a peculiar

intensity,

such as

the

absolute stillness

of

deep

winter or

the

"awakening"

of spring.

In

essence,

the

stages were

to

describe

the

qualities of

my

experience at a specific moment.

The

overall structure of

the

theme

is

serial.

Each

moment

is

a

link

in

a metamorphic

linear

progression.

However,

the

passing

of one

moment

to

the

next

is

sequential.

Each

moment

is

independent

of

the

others

in

that

it

has been

extracted

from

an otherwise continuous

hap

pening.

Its

qualities are unique

in

terms

of contextual

meaning

and

complete

in

terms

of

describing

that

particular moment.

Though

a

quality

may be

apparent

in

other moments,

the

change of context will change

its

significance and

therefore,

change

the

quality.

There

is

no

linear bridge

that

connects one moment

to

the

next

in

terms

of a metamorphosis of

any

of

the

qualities which give

it

form.

The

passing

of one moment

to

an

other

is

a process of

building

the

information

of one onto

that

of

the

next so

that

the

significancies of all

the

moments are maintained

to

the

end of

the

sequence.

The

expression of

the

theme

is

accomplished

by

combining

the

meanings of

the

separate moments viewed

in

specific order.

A

familiar

analogy

to

this

structure occurs

in

film.

Assume

the

camera

has

recorded

a set of

distinctly

different

scenes

(the

subject matter of each

is

unique)

.

No

matter

how different

they

may

seem,

when edited

into

a

specific

order,

meaning

which

one

is

capable of

inferring.

A

_{particular order of}

juxta

position of

the

different

scenes

is necessary

for the

_{expression of} a

specific

message.

However,

the

expression

is

not realized

through

making

linear

connections

from

_shot

1

to

shot

2

etc. as

if

they

are

occurring

one after

the

other,

though

that

is

the

way

they

are seen.

Meaning

is

derived

from

combining the

juxtaposed

_events

into

_{a complete unit and}

then

drawing

conclusions as

to

their

individual

significancies.

Composing

the

text

for

the

book

became

a matter of

recollecting

specific experiences or

impressions

of

the

environment

that

took

form

in

response

to

the

particular

time

of

the

year

in

which

they

had

occurred.

The

possibilities were

infinite

but

since

the

field had

to

be

of a manage

able and producible

size,

the

text

eventually became

a collection of nine

moments:

1.

winter at

its

coldest,

quietest

2.

winter

beginning

to

warm,

snow

melting

3.

winter;

cold

but

the

snow

is

gone

exposing

last

year's

fall

4.

not quite winter not quite

spring,

rain,

warmer,

buds

on

trees

5.

spring

bursting

forth

in

a moment

6.

and

in

the

next

moment,

gone;<